The first ever public demonstration against electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) in Cork, Ireland took place on Sunday, 13 May 2007 at Daunt Square.

Organised by MindFreedom Ireland, who campaign for a non-violent
revolution in the mental health system, the demonstration was in
solidarity with similar demonstrations in Montreal and Toronto Canada
which also took place on Sunday, May 13th. For background information on the Toronto protest including news conference and poster click here.

The day is Mothers Day in
the U.S. and Canada and was selected to mark the fact that the greatest
number of recipients of ECT are mothers and grandmothers.

ECT has been in use since 1938. It involves passing an electric
current through the brain of a depressed person who has been
anaesthetised, resulting in a ‘grand mal’ seizure. It has always been
a controversial treatment. Its proponents claim it helps in cases of
severe depression but its critics argue that it causes permanent brain
damage and memory loss and is often ‘threatened’ on a patient or
administered without proper informed consent. Every year, over 1000
people are given ECT in Ireland.

The demonstration heard first hand testimonies from a number of
recipients of ECT, including Mary Maddock, founder-member of
MindFreedom Ireland. Other speakers were Kathy Sinnott, independent
MEP, Dan Boyle TD and John McCarthy, independent health candidate in
the upcoming election.

The Irish Times published this report [corrected]:

Protesters urge cessation of electro convulsive shock therapy in State

by Michelle McDonagh

A complete ban on the use of electro convulsive shock therapy (ECT) in Ireland was called for at a public demonstration against the treatment held in Cork city yesterday.

A small group of some 30 people, including former ECT patients, turned out in the pouring rain to voice their opposition to the controversial treatment.

The demonstration, which was held at Daunt Square, was organised by human rights group MindFreedom Ireland.

Director of the advocacy group Mary Maddock, who describes herself as an "ECT survivor", called for a total ban on the therapy which she said caused her to suffer memory loss and other problems.

"Two-thirds of those who get ECT are women. Mothers and grandmothers are the chief recipients of ECT. We held our public demonstration in conjunction with ... two other protests in Montreal and Toronto also today, which is [Mother's] Day in Canada," she explained.

The event was attended by Cork MEP Kathy Sinnott who said some 800 people receive the treatment every year in Ireland. Independent health candidate for Cork North Central, John McCarthy, said the practice should be completely banned.

For more information about the protests in Toronto and Montreal see "Related Content" below.

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Ted Chabasinski

Ted received electroshock at the age of six, and spent 10 years of his youth locked up inside a state psychiatric institution. He became a psychiatric survivor movement leader in 1971, and later became an attorney. He has served on the board of MindFreedom International for several years. (Photo by Tom Olin)